Castor
by palomino333
Summary: Sequel to Pollux. Set between the KC Grand Prix and Millennium World. Yugi and his friends spend a well-earned day of rest, and reflect upon how far they have come as people in three years. Peachshipping


I really wanted to write a fanfiction where the gang just hangs out. Yugi and his friends are gamers, that can't be disputed, but there are also several moments in the series when they just talk that develop them more than an entire duel. Besides, I also wanted to write a story where Yugi could just act his age for once, and relax. There's a lot of pressure on that poor boy's head.

The mention of Yami looking gaunter is courtesy of something I saw pointed out on TV Tropes. If you compare how Yami looks from Season 1 to Season 4 or 5, he looks more beaten, or at least more tired. Whether it was the artists wanting his appearance to reflect the fact that he is the "dark" half, or to show the effects of stress, I'm not sure.

* * *

><p>Yugi had never been one for puppet shows. True, they had been charming, with the puppets' silly, over-the-top gestures, but they had also held a bit of darkness to them for those exact same reasons. Their smiles had seemed far too contrived in their constant appearances, and their motions had appeared ghastly in how the marionettes' limbs had been stretched. As a result, he had always found himself either closing his eyes, or turning his head away. It had been truly horrific to see Jonouchi and Anzu being transformed into these blank, subservient beings. Jonouchi, protective, steadfast, hardheaded Jonouchi, had become an obedient droid like Strings. Anzu, kind, hardworking, independent Anzu, had been turned into a helpless doll. It had broken his heart to see them in such a state, and it had driven the nail even further that it had all been done to get to him.<p>

Even during that macabre session, however, he had never imagined that loss of control happening to him. Now, however, as he gripped the shield and sword tightly at the ready in this torch-lit ceremonial room, the flames spotlighting the desperate images of other captured souls, Yugi found himself in that exact situation. Perhaps not the exact same. Unlike the previous puppets, he was completely aware. He could feel the tight leather beneath the heavy armor that sheathed him, he could hear the gasps of shock at the exposure of his face, and above all, he could see the utterly destroyed look on Yami's face. The pharaoh had looked ready to fall to his knees right then and there.

Yugi felt his own sorrow well up, and explode inside of him. The man he had seen as a great mentor and father figure was falling to pieces before his very eyes. He wanted to reach out to him, and tell him that it would all be fine, but he just couldn't. The Orichalcos' hold on him was too strong. As pathetic as it was, he couldn't even call forth the tears he wanted to shed so badly. Yugi knew Jonouchi, Mai, and Pegasus were beside him, and they were suffering the exact same torture, with each locked inside their very own minds. Yugi, despite what had transpired before, felt especially sorry for Mai, who was going through this for a second time. Even though they were all standing together, he was on his own.

Somewhere in this dreadful knowledge lay the key to his salvation, however small. He needed to cut his own cord. He had to try. Throwing his concern for those who could be perspective victims to the forefront, he began his rebellion. The strain on his mind was severe. Awareness was one thing, but voluntary motor control and thought processing? It was another category altogether. The resistance was incredibly strong, shaking his perception vigorously. The morals he held were called into question. What were these millions of people worth? They hadn't saved his soul from being taken. His identity was being ripped from his very hands. At least, it seemed that way until the order came to attack Yami directly. The sword rattled as Yugi forced himself to not give in, despite the ache. He couldn't do it, not after all they had been through together.

When the command came again after the Seal's third layer had been spawned, the Orichalcos struck its harshest blow yet: the memory of the pharaoh yanking his arm away from his grasp, and playing the Seal. The betrayal simply couldn't be covered up; the very person he had trusted with his life had turned his back on him. Yet, even as that fist of disillusionment and anger clenched, he couldn't deny the guilt that burned within him as he swung the blade through the air. Yugi could only hope that Yami could forgive him as he registered the cold fear in the other duelist's eyes a mere moment before the blow was struck.

XXXXXX

With a sharp intake of breath, Yugi jolted awake, clutching the sheets of his bed between his hands. His right hand let go in order to be placed to his heaving chest as his eyes registered the familiar surroundings of his room, namely the dresser, rug, and closet. He slumped back down on the bed in relief, staring up at the skylight. The moon shone quietly back down on him. Yugi closed his eyes, and covered their lids with his hands before letting out a groan. So much for a relaxing night before the beginning of the weekend.

His hands fell to his sides. It was funny to think of such a mundane paradise as that, considering the looming task up ahead. Then again, it was all he had, and even that was minute, since his dual lives as a student and a duelist were converging more and more with each passing day. Lately, his friends and he had taken quite an earful from their teachers over their poor attendance in accordance with their trip to the United States, and their later stranding. Not to mention the fact that without participating in the KC Grand Prix, the four wouldn't have returned home. Yugi and Jonouchi had suffered the worst for that, with the school faculty laying into them for their apparent idea that Duel Monsters was more important than school. Not only had the two been given particularly heavy make-up workloads like Honda and Anzu, but they had also been forced for five days in a row to clap erasers, scrub desks, and mop the floor. The humiliation had barely fallen second to the exhaustion.

Then again, that was nothing new. Yugi had received the same treatment after the mob of duelists had appeared before Domino High, hounding him for a chance at his god cards. Not to say he was necessarily thrilled with that sort of thing. If anything, he wanted that attention to be thrown off of him. Yugi mentally gauged that it would still be at the very least two and a half weeks before he could even think of asking is teachers for any off time, let alone the fact that his request would most likely be rejected. Yami had told him more than once that he was fine with waiting, and judging by his consistently guilty voice, Yugi knew he could take reassurance that at face value.

"Are you all right?" Asked a concerned voice.

Yugi smiled slightly as he pushed himself up on his elbows. Standing at the foot of the bed of was none other than the pharaoh himself, an inquisitive look on his face. "Yeah, just a bad dream," he replied, rubbing the back of his neck. Yami relaxed his pose a little, his shoulders dropping back down. Yugi would never say that tension lay between the two, but past events had certainly altered a few things. After the duel with Dartz, Yami tended to appear more often than he used to. That wasn't to say he was clinging to the boy. Yugi had no qualms about making a subtle bid for freedom if any such thing occurred. It seemed instead, rather, that his friend simply wished for a greater sense of companionship. That made a great deal of sense, but therein lay the conundrum, and they both knew it.

It had only been a few days ago when Anzu had taught Yami how to dance. Yugi still had mixed feelings about that, and the some of them were feelings that he would rather not convey to the Spirit of the Puzzle. That wasn't to say Yugi wasn't happy that the two had found an attraction for one another. If anything, it made him happy to see Yami really establishing a connection with someone other than him in this alien age. At the same time, that was tinged with sadness over the fact that he wasn't sure whether or not it could go anywhere with their vastly differing situations. Soon to follow were the less savory emotions, namely jealousy. It was Yugi who had grown up with her, not him. Muto knew Gardener's hopes and dreams in life, and he had been there for her when she had feared them to be for nothing. She in turn had done the same. The memories of those hard nights and gray days still drew psychologically on him. Yet, he had been awarded the friendship, and Yami had been given the romance. Yugi would never wish harm on either, but this frustrated him to no end, not to mention how much it hurt. Unfortunately, he just didn't measure up in heroics to his counterpart.

What dispersed this unhappiness were two things. The first was the fact that these were his friends. It was wrong to allow such a thing to come between his relationships with Yami and Anzu. The second was Anzu's consent to the dance lesson in the first place. She hadn't jumped at the opportunity to spend time with the pharaoh, and it was obvious from Yugi's prior conversation with her that it was due more to her care for the student. There was a reason why she had more than once asked if he was all right with this. She even offered to merely say a simple verbal good-bye instead of having such a meeting. Yugi, although touched by that, decided against agreeing out of the want to do the right thing for them. Still, even then, Anzu had sounded so unsure, as if she been half-compelled to say "no" for his sake alone. If she cared for his feelings on the matter that much, perhaps she did consider Yugi as more than just a friend. It at least made him hopeful. If Yami had any knowledge of Yugi's thoughts (which his partner guessed he probably did), he didn't comment on them. That was nothing new. He tended not to intrude on his personal life. Still, Yugi couldn't help but wonder how strongly these emotions were radiating from him. It had taken him a while to realize Yami's attachment to the girl, but then again, the factor of denial had probably been involved, now that he looked back on it. Over time, however, the affectionate warmth that swished softly through the mind link whenever Yami was in control of his body, and happened to be looking in the direction of Anzu, had begun to be noticed by Yugi.

"It seems as if you simply can't catch a break as of yet," Yami mused in a slightly bitter tone, "and you certainly deserve one."

Yugi smiled. "I'll get that break in…" He glanced over at the bedside clock, and groaned, dropping his head back on the pillows in exasperation, "Eight hours."

"Forgive me for saying this, but it doesn't seem as if that was just any nightmare. After a week like this, I'd expect you to be raring to go back to sleep," his friend replied, crossing over to the side of the bed, and sitting down on it.

After holding the elder's patient gaze for a while, the younger conceded, "Yeah, I guess you could say that. I dreamt of when I was a Mirror Knight Token, and Dartz ordered me to attack you." Yugi's reply, courtesy of his determination, was dignified, without him physically shifting or wincing, but his speech was rushed. Yami, rather than cutting him off with a rushed reassurance, nodded. Yugi noted that despite his stoic demeanor, a few traces of emotion punched through, such as the widening of his eyes, the slight jerk backward his body gave, and the quick release of a breath through his nose while the words were being passed.

Sitting up, the student looked down at his hands. His skin was pale to point of seeming sickly in the moonlight. "When that happened, I barely had any sense of control over myself. We've been separated before, like during the duel with Marik, but this was something completely different. This time, I could fight against it, like you saw, but in the end, I couldn't win," he sighed, lifting his gaze, "I know things aren't nearly as extreme as they were then, but I guess I can kind of see a connection. After coming back here, I've been forced to realize that a lot of things are out of my control, for as much as I try to change them. School…Jonouchi…Anzu…You…" Yugi's voice cracked as he spoke. A moment passed, and Yugi gratefully took it to compose himself. He felt pathetic, but at the same time, it was better to get that off his chest.

With a somber frown, Yami placed his hand on his shoulder. Naturally, he couldn't feel it, but he appreciated the gesture. "I'm sorry." Yugi knew better than to respond. He expected that sort of flimsy response from someone who didn't understand, but this matter was different entirely. If anything, Yami was simply collecting his thoughts before continuing. At least he had the common decency to handle subject matter such as this delicately. "I won't talk down on you by saying these issues are a part of everyday life. Instead, I will say that I empathize."

Yugi gave a sad smile, and glanced down at the two Puzzles, his solid, and Yami's transparent. "It had to be lonely in there." It only dawned on him after the words were said into what sort of territory he was straying. Neither Yami nor he had ever brought up the topic of the high amount of time the former had spent alone. It was because of two things, the first being Yugi simply couldn't wrap his mind around that sort of prolonged isolation, and the second being Yami's avoidance to discuss it. Even when the two interacted within the Puzzle itself, their conversations concerned the outside world.

Now that the student remembered correctly, he had voiced to Yami a theory about the Puzzle's complicated path as a metaphor for the spirit's confusion over his past, and the impending future. The response to that had been a look of unbridled elation, as if a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Someone had finally understood.

This current comment, however, triggered the exact opposite. Yami's hand dropped to his side, and a shadow passed over his face. His jaw was set firmly, and Yugi was willing to bet that if it was open, he would see two rows of gritted teeth. Yami's other hand, which was resting on his knee, clenched. The extreme paleness in the moonlight gave away the fact that his knuckles were turning white. The reaction only had a second's occurrence before he settled himself down, and replied, "I whole-heartedly appreciate your concern, but that can wait for another time." Yami's attempt to steer the conversation back to the original subject wasn't needed. Yugi had quickly learned in that space of time to drop it.

Well, it wasn't completely dropped. Yugi's mind continued to stray. It was quite a contrast, considering when the Puzzle had first been solved. Back then, Yami had been prone to using his shadow powers as punishments, whether they were completely justified or not. Ushio and the slimy director provided their own examples. Both men, the last Yugi had heard of them, were still institutionalized. He wasn't ungrateful that they had gotten their just dues, but it had been overkill, no doubt about it. Yugi didn't outright fear Yami, but he couldn't deny the tense feelings he sometimes got around him. They gave him all the more of a reason to provide moral guidance. That tight rope had broken somewhat in the duel with Kaiba in Duelist Kingdom, and completely in Yami's first duel with Rafael. As a consequence of that second occasion, the pharaoh had been forced to face up to what he had become.

Yet, it had to be done, as much as Yugi wished it hadn't. He hated seeing his friends in pain. Yami hadn't lost his fierce determination to protect those he loved, but he had taken a fierce brow-beating. He was by no means thoroughly broken, but his self-assurance in the aggressive use of his shadow powers had been significantly ruptured. Yugi doubted he would ever instigate a Shadow Game ever again. Granted, he hadn't done that since just before Duelist Kingdom, but the drive had remained. Yugi had felt that blind fury building up inside of him at points throughout that tournament and Battle City, but he had been able to coax Yami into subduing them. Now, that force was either extremely weak, or nonexistent. Come to think of it, even Yami's physical state had withered somewhat. He appeared slightly gaunt in the face, and dark circles occasionally could be seen under his eyes. Yugi chocked that up to stress.

What was most frustrating about the whole thing was that this drive in the first place hadn't been completely in Yami's control. As much as the student hated to admit it, if he was isolated for thousands of years, he would probably have a screw loose as well. What made it even worse was the fact that this sort of torture hadn't been merited, but without it, he would've been a completely different person. As unpleasant as it was, it had shaped him. Yugi knew he would never totally understand his friend without experiencing extended solitary confinement, but that, thankfully for him, wasn't going to happen. Likewise, Yami would probably never fully comprehend Yugi's submissive way of acting without first living the life of a common man. Yugi smiled in spite of everything. "It's funny. You'd think most of these things would be the least of my troubles. Believe it or not, I'm actually kind of glad that this stuff is my main priority for a while."

Yami returned the smile. "That's a good way to think of it." It slipped away a moment later. "I must apologize for helping to complicate matters. I went further than I should have in that arrangement with Anzu."

Surprisingly, Yugi found himself wishing to exploit that comment. He'd lived in Yami's shadow for the past three years, after all. What stopped him, however, was his own sense of ethics. He shook his head. "No, you don't need to be sorry. You didn't do anything wrong," after a pause, he added in a quieter voice, "I probably would have done the same thing in your situation."

Moments passed as Yami mulled this over. Yugi was half-compelled to throw his hands in the air in frustration. The statement had sounded far too light, but he couldn't think of another way to say it. The pharaoh's features relaxed once more. "Thank you."

"No problem," he replied, "I just wish that everything else was as easy as this. It isn't fair that Jonouchi had to come back home to…Well, him." Yugi's voice lost all warmth at the end of the statement.

Yami's eyes narrowed. "It won't be much longer until he can live on his own. Until then, unfortunately, not much can be done, but," he brought his hand down on the bed for emphasis, "In the meantime, you are doing what you can, even though it is infuriatingly meager."

"Well, he'll have this day to not think about it." Yugi muttered, all the while trying to push away the mental image of the fresh, ugly bruise on the side of Jonouchi's face. It had healed for the most part since then. "School won't be as hard next time around. I'll know what to expect."

"If you want, Yugi, I can take care of it for this week. You looked quite tired," Yami offered.

Chuckling, Yugi shook his head. "Nah, that would seem a little silly, but thanks. It just gets to me after a while, that's all."

His friend nodded. "I can see why," he lifted his hand slowly to point his index finger at whom he was addressing, "but despite it all, you have held your composure. That's what is most important." When Yami dropped his hand, his head followed about halfway. Yugi's eyes widened at the movement. Was he…bowing to him? "Likewise, when we had each fallen under the influence of the Seal of Orichalcos, you proved yourself to be the better man. While I selfishly used my monsters for my own gain, you fought the urge to attack me."

Yugi opened his mouth to say something, but shut it just as soon. As much as he didn't want the pharaoh to think so poorly of himself, the action would also be stepping on Yami's efforts of swallowing his pride. Instead, he settled for a whole-hearted, "Thanks. That makes me feel much stronger."

Yami's head returned to its upright position. "I'm glad to hear it."

He looked ready to continue his sentiment when Yugi yawned, entrapping the noise in his hand. "Sorry, what were you going to say?"

Yami shook his head. "Nothing worth any matter of importance. Would you like to keep talking?"

As curious as the student was, he decided to let it go. If he didn't want to talk about it, he didn't have to. Not to mention the fact that the mental exhaustion from analyzing this conversation was beginning to snowball. If anything, he just wanted to put his head back on the pillow, and NOT THINK. "Is it all right if we don't? I'm sorry, but I'm just too tired," Yugi inquired.

"Of course, Yugi, Good night," Yami replied before raising his hand in a farewell. Yugi returned it, and Yami vanished back into the Puzzle. It wasn't long before he lay back down, and allowed whatever remained of his thoughts to subside into nothingness.

XXXXXX

"Man, it's been too long," Honda commented with a long sigh as he stretched luxuriously. He was splayed out on Yugi's couch.

"Oh please, you weren't the one who had to do detention," Jonouchi muttered, kicking the piece of furniture before dropping to the floor on his rear end next to it.

"Easy, Jonouchi. That's the only couch we have," Yugi teased, while Anzu laughed.

"Hey Yugi, back me up here," Jonouchi returned, popping the tab on his soda can.

He shrugged in response. "It's not worth it; the week's over."

"Yeah, but don't forget about the next one," Jonouchi pressed, jabbing his finger in Yugi's direction a few times as he spoke.

Anzu frowned, leaning forward on the chair in which she was sitting. "Hopefully they'll let up on you two. That's cruel and unusual punishment. Honda and I were guilty of the same thing as you," before anyone could reply, she held a finger in the air, "And Duel Monsters shouldn't factor in to that. School is school."

"Yeah, try telling that to them." Honda replied sarcastically.

Groaning, she picked a can of soda up off of the coffee table. Before opening it, she muttered reluctantly, "Good point."

Despite the content of the conversation, Yugi sighed in satisfaction. Lying on the table between them was a small assortment of drinks and snacks, and off to the side were a few sets of games if they so desired to play. For once in a long time, gaming was exactly what it was supposed to be: a diversion.

Jonouchi, meanwhile, rolled his eyes, and pawed through the bag of chips in his lap. Leaning over slightly, Yugi could see the yellowish-green, healing bruise on his face. Wheeler was too invested in his snack to pay attention, but Hiroto caught his wandering eye, and nodded in solemn understanding. The two exchanged a quick glance of shared frustration before engaging in a conversation with Anzu about the happenings of the week, mostly revolving around the difficulty of a recent test. Jonouchi's father hadn't yet focused (and probably never would focus) his efforts on kicking his gambling addiction. This time, however, it had worked to his benefit, as he had brought home a good-sized win. After binging on the booze from which he had bought with a chunk of the money, he had passed out. Jonouchi, seizing his opportunity, spent the rest of the money on paying the overdue rent, and taking a few digits off of the pile of debt upon which the two were sitting. For his efforts, he found himself on the receiving end of a blind rage by his father while he was getting ready for school the next day. Jonouchi had managed to fight the old man off, but his opponent had held the advantage of size. As a result, he'd taken a hit.

Honda had offered his house as an option for the following night, and Jonouchi had gratefully taken it. Yugi and Anzu had tried to find solace in the fact that Katsuya had had a shelter, but they couldn't deny the fact that he eventually had to come home. Whatever happened that next day, Jonouchi still wasn't talking about it, but he consistently returned to school with no further injuries. He personally requested for his friends to not pursue the subject any further, and so it was never brought up.

"Are you kidding me?" Honda exclaimed, putting a hand to his forehead, "I swear I thought that was the answer!"

Yugi shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I'm pretty sure that wasn't it."

"Man, I spent all week studying those formulas!" he despaired, "How did I get them mixed up?"

"It shouldn't matter too much, though," Anzu comforted, "you knew the formulas themselves well. Don't forget, I helped quiz you. You couldn't possibly have confused them every time."

Jonouchi looked up from his bag of chips to add, "The real problem with that test was that we weren't even there to hear part of what was going to be on it. You'd think they'd give us a little something for the crap we went through."

"Keep dreaming," Honda replied, his arms folded.

Anzu swung her legs back and forth. "Not to mention the time limit we were given."

Yugi winced. "Don't remind me. How could anyone possibly have time to finish that test, let alone check over it?"

"Look, why don't we just forget about it? Nothing we can do right now," Jonouchi began, picking up his can of soda, "No week could possibly be worse than this."

Honda nodded in agreement, picking up a can as well. "I could drink to that. I think we'd all rather forget about it."

"Think of it this way," Yugi explained, reaching out toward the table for his own can, "It could get better. It already has, since we're all here to complain about it together, after all."

Anzu chuckled, can in hand. "Well then, here's to a better week." The four raised their drinks in the air, and took sips. "So, is anyone looking forward to anything this week?" She asked, attempting to further the good mood.

"Eh, I wouldn't call this worth looking forward to, but I'm going to talk to my parents. They've been thinking lately that I should join the police force after high school," Honda paused to take a generous swig.

"Didn't they want you to join the military at one point, too?" Yugi asked.

He nodded, rubbing the back of his neck self-consciously while addressing his small friend. "Yeah, but that was when they thought I needed 'straightening out," he dropped his hand to continue, "Problem is, though, this time they really think I wanna go, especially after I asked for my motorcycle."

Jonouchi smirked. "I can just see it now, Officer Hiroto Honda, chasing down the bad guys on his motorcycle from sunup 'til sundown."

Honda's response was to hit the blonde on the head with his fist, although without the sufficient force to cause any damage. A peal of laughter came from the other side of the room. "Yeah right," Honda replied sarcastically, adjusting himself more comfortably on the couch, "Here's my problem with that, other than what you just said: I'm not sure if I want to spend my whole life running after crooks. I don't mean I'd rather sit on my ass all day in a cubicle, but I also wanna have time for other things."

"Yeah, like drooling over my sister," Jonouchi muttered.

"Oh come on, Jonouchi, you should be proud that you should have such a good-looking sister," Honda replied, nodding toward Yugi, "Am I right, buddy?"

"Um, I'm staying out of this," he replied quickly, holding his hands up.

"Good choice," Jonouchi and Anzu simultaneously praised.

Finding himself with no leg to stand on, Honda went back to the initial topic. "My point is, I'm not sure what to do yet, and I don't want to get pigeon-holed."

"At least you have that advantage," Anzu remarked with a hint of sourness in her voice, "I'm still scraping to find the money I need to go back overseas for dance school. Just several hundred dollars short, guys."

"Wooooo," Jonouchi waved his pointer finger in a circle above his head.

"Yeah, after the umpteenth time babysitting for the neighbors, and sweeping the kitchen floor," she put her head in her hands, "There has to be an easier way to do this." Yugi frowned, and gave her a pat on the back.

"Well, we could teach you to duel better…" Jonouchi suggested, his voice trailing off.

She raised her head. "Jonouchi, you know I'll never be as good as Yugi and you. I'll get obliterated in a tournament." Yugi opened his mouth to make a suggestion, but she cut him off, although without realizing it, as she wasn't looking at him. "And no, don't either of you try to duel for me. I'm not going to let myself become a burden." Yugi closed his jaw tightly, and suppressed a growl of irritation.

"A burden? You? Nah," Jonouchi replied, "For as much as you work your butt off between school and dancing, you're the furthest thing from it."

"Thanks," she replied, looking from him to Yugi with a smile that soon faded, "I understand my parents want me to be successful, but they deny me any money at all, outside of chores, to go to New York City and study dance, meanwhile I've been telling them I've wanted to go ever since I was nine years old. Plus, there's the fact that age is important in this! I don't have until I'm thirty to raise this money!" She hung her head again, covering her eyes with a sigh. "You know, it's easier to give up sometimes."

The room was silent for a few moments. The boys looked between one another. It was Yugi who responded, "Of course it is." She raised her head curiously. "I can't tell you how many times I would rather have backed down. Do you think I wanted to have my soul taken?" His voice was strained as he recounted the painful memories, "As much as we joke about school, it's a walk in the park in comparison to the duels."

"Yugi," she whispered, holding out a hand in his direction.

"But at the same time," he continued, "I didn't have a choice. It was either I went against those people, or I let the entire world down," he smiled up at her, "that's why I both admire you, and I'm jealous of you. You have a dream, and you go after it. The best part of it is, it's what you want, Anzu. No one is forcing you to do it. I know it's probably very easy to lose sight of that, but that's why I think you should keep going, no matter how stacked the situation is."

"You've got a point, Yugi," Jonouchi added, drawing their attention as he set his bag aside, "You guys all remember when Shizuka needed her eye operation. My only chance was a long shot at best. Face it, if it hadn't been for Yugi, I wouldn't have even been able to go to Duelist Kingdom, and try to win the prize money by playing a game I barely knew at that time. I was ready to throw in the towel, but I did it for her, and in a way, I was kinda doing it for me, too. I wanted her to see again, and I was going to make it better."

"The point is, we all know it's hard; we've been there," Honda chimed in, "I wanted to just call it a day when I got turned into a monkey. The thing is, though, you have a plan about what you want to do in the future. The three of us aren't too sure yet. We'll put our heads together, and figure out a way to get you the money you need. Let's be honest, Anzu, you're really good at what you like to do, and none of us want that to go to waste."

Tears gathered in her eyes as she gave each of the boys a look over, her head turning slowly. A small smile grew in size on her face with the movement of her head. She swallowed softly, and nodded, her tears running down her cheeks as she replied, "Okay, I'll keep at it."

"Hell, we'll convince Kaiba if it comes down to it. He owes us a few favors," Jonouchi murmured.

"Honda, can you give me the peanuts?" Yugi asked, seeing that they were all the way across the table.

"Let's put it this way, at this current point in time, he owes each of us four our own individual homes with a pool," Honda paused to toss the bag at him, "and we won't see a brick of them."

"You underestimate my negotiation skills, my friend," Katsuya retorted, cracking his knuckles.

"Please, no lawsuits," Anzu warned with a laugh as she picked up a bag of dried fruit.

"Now that's the Anzu we all know and love!" Jonouchi exclaimed, grinning.

She smiled back. "Jonouchi, I'm curious. What do you want to do after high school?"

He gave his knuckles one final crack, his head inclined pensively. "You know, I actually did some thinking about that myself after Battle City. I mean, that was probably the largest amount of time I've had with Shizuka in years," he shrugged, "Or at least with any other member of my family beside that old bastard," after taking a drink, he finished, "So, here's my idea as of right now. Most importantly, I move out of that apartment after I graduate. I don't even care if I have to move that same day. I'll get a job, and live near my mom and my sister. I've been away from them for so long, and it took Shizuka almost losing her sight to bring us back together," he closed his eyes, shaking his head, "I don't want that to be the only reason. Aside from you guys, Mom and Shizuka are the only people I've got. I know it'll take a while to make up for lost time with Mom, but if we could get along to help Serenity, then maybe we can get back together as a family," he eyeballed Honda, who was listening intently, "Besides, I need to keep knuckleheads like you away from my sister."

The boy in question laughed, and replied, "I tell you what, man, I give you credit."

"Yeah, me too," Anzu added, "That takes a lot of bravery."

"Absolutely," Yugi agreed, "You're willing to do all of that for those you care about."

"Thanks guys," Jonouchi answered, beaming and grabbing the chips again, "All right, Yugi, you're up."

While Honda's hand meandered its way over to a bag of pretzels, Muto thought this over before speaking. "Before I solved the Puzzle, I used to think I would help my grandfather manage the shop, and that would be about it. Now, even though I still like that image, I want to broaden my horizons a little. With all the people I've met, and the places I've been, just being a shopkeeper, and nothing else, seems a little, well, disappointing. I don't want to see an end to experiencing new things. Whatever I do after high school, I want it to involve that all over again, but definitely without having everything put on the line all the time."

"Yeah, that happens a lot, doesn't it?" Jonouchi asked sardonically.

"Maybe you could be an archaeologist like your grandfather?" Anzu suggested.

Yugi shrugged. "As much as I would like to do that, I have to realize that the Pharaoh won't be here forever. At some point, and it's probably closer than we think, he will go to rest. I couldn't go to Egypt, especially for amount of times that career would require me to. It would be too sad."

"It's hard to believe, isn't it?" Jonouchi asked, pointing at the Puzzle, "It seems like just yesterday you realized that he lived in there, and so much has changed."

"No offense, Yugi, but you're a different person, in a good way, from who you used to be because of all of that," Honda pointed out.

Muto smiled. "None taken. I know I was a lot weaker than I am now, but learning to live with that, and getting over it…That's a growing experience in itself."

"No, you weren't weak," Anzu replied suddenly. He glanced up at her, and met a firm gaze. "Yugi, you're wrong when you say that. You, Jonouchi, and Honda just convinced me not to give up on my dream, but the examples you all used happened because of, or at least tied into, your solving the Puzzle. You told me that you had been working on the Puzzle for eight years. A regular person would've given up it if took him or her a week, but you didn't. You took that challenge, and in a way, you saved someone's life right off the bat."

"So, if you hadn't finished it in the first place, he'd still be in there all by himself!" Honda exclaimed.

"I can't even imagine what that would be like," Jonouchi shuddered.

"I hadn't thought of it that way, Anzu," Yugi responded with vigor, and sighed, "But I still don't believe that a career in Egypt is the way I want to live my life."

"No one said it had to be," she replied reassuringly, "You can do whatever you want."

"But uh, make sure to take us along for the ride," Honda threw in with a wink, "especially if it leads to Paris. I could use some R & R."

"Paris? Please, LA is way better. I can't believe we went all the way to California, and we skipped Hollywood!" Jonouchi argued.

"No, you're both wrong, Barcelona's the best! Art, good food, music, and dancing! What could be better?" Anzu declared.

Yugi laughed. "Easy guys, let's wait a few years first."

"Well, I know something we can do while we wait," Jonouchi rose and moved towards the games, "Strip poker sound good?"

"Jonouchi!" Anzu chucked a pillow at him. He deflected it with an elbow.

"Why not something easy for once, like Go Fish?" Yugi asked.

"You have no idea how much I've missed that game." Katsuya remarked sincerely, holding up a pack of playing cards.

XXXXXX

"Thanks for having us over, Yugi." Anzu stated, grabbing her jacket off the railing of the stairs. The games had caused the rest of the day to fly by fast. Honda, needing to do a few chores at home before the day was out (he'd put off doing them), had been the first to leave, and Jonouchi had been next after helping to clean up the games. He'd wanted to call his sister. Anzu had stayed to talk with Yugi, and relax for a while longer before assisting in cleaning up the empty snack bags and soda cans.

"No problem," he answered, walking over to her, "It's nice to just hang out for once."

"You said it," she lifted her hair out from where it was caught in the collar, "Hopefully we'll be able to have more days like this. Maybe we could all go somewhere together next time."

Yugi placed his hand over the top of the Puzzle, his mind drifting back to Egypt. The answers Yami needed were cradled in the Valley of the Kings, but Yugi hesitated at the notion of taking his friends with him. The battle against the Seal of Orichalcos had come closer than ever to stealing them from him, and he didn't want that to happen again. All he wanted was for the three to be safe. Anzu's eyes followed his hand. "Yugi, about the other night, I'm sorry."

He shook his head. "Don't be. If anything, we both want to thank you for that," he held out his hands, "You saw how happy you made him, but you couldn't feel it like I did. It's few and far between when Yami feels truly content, and to have that emanating from him to me…It's just beyond belief," jamming his hands in his pockets, he included, "Actually, you made him feel that way before, when you took him on that tour of Domino City."

Her eyes widened as she drank in the importance of his words. "Well, I'm glad I could help," was her modest reply. Turning away from him, she looked over the rail, leaning on her elbows.

Curious, Yugi did the same. "Is something else on your mind?"

"Yeah," she responded after a little while. She let go of the rail to face him, and waited until he did the same to continue, "Yugi, I know the Pharaoh and you are very close, and I don't want this to sound wrong to him when I ask you this."

He raised an eyebrow, and allowed it to fall, softening his expression. "Go ahead and ask. It's all right," he reassured.

Her hands clasped together. "Would you like to do something with me one of these days, just the two of us?"

Yugi's blinked before creating an answer. "Do you mean you want to go on a date with me?"

Her reply was soft. "Yes. I wanted to ask you now because I knew things would get busy again. I know the time frame is unfair to him, but I didn't know how else I was going to do it."

Yugi gave a light smile as he held out his hand. "Yes, Anzu. I'd like to very much." Her returning smile was sad as she took it. Yugi wanted to pinch himself to see if he was dreaming when he felt the softness of her hand on his. "It's funny," he commented, "Last night, Yami and I talked about you and him, and he sounded like he was okay with us being together."

"I'm glad." She knelt down to hug him. That certainly felt better, even though he couldn't help but blush. What perfume was she wearing? It smelled like some sort of fruit. Apricot? "Yugi, I'm so sorry I didn't ask you sooner. You're such a nice guy, and you've always cared about me," Anzu sounded close to tears, "even though I didn't always deserve it."

"Anzu, it's all right. Here, let me out." She did so with reluctance.

He felt a giddy smile on his face, and thought he probably looked childish. "Please come over to the stairs. I have an idea." He started walking over with her following, and turned back to look at her. "Now, bear with me on this. Can you go down a couple of stairs, and face me?"

Anzu, although looking more ready to question him, nodded, and complied. Yugi went to the edge of the top stair to look at her square in the face, the two being on the exact same level of height. He could see the pink blush on her face, knowing it mirrored the warmth on his cheeks. Reaching out, he placed his arms around her waist, while she wrapped hers around his shoulders. He leaned in carefully, and touched his lips to hers.

Anzu reacted almost immediately, gripping him a little tighter to draw him in closer. Yugi's eyes popped open and stretched wide at her grip. She let go, giggling in embarrassment. "Sorry about that."

He shook his head fast, swallowing a few times. "No, no, no! That was…That was great!"

She was still beet red as she replied, "It was for me, too." With a peck on his cheek, she whispered, "Good night, Yugi."

"'Night, Anzu," he returned at that same volume before she gave a wave and walked down the stairs, disappearing from view. When he heard the door close below, Yugi dropped to a sitting position on the stair, his chin in his hand. He was still beaming as he stared off at nothing. He didn't care about the difficulties in store for him at the moment. For right now, he was allowed to be a simple teenager once more.


End file.
